Ironing machine control mechanism



May 31, 1949. w. H. BRADLEY IRONING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1946 INVENTOR.

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(alga May 31, 1949. w. .H. BRADLEY IRONING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild Feb. 21, 1946 JNVENTORQ ZZ ZZZAQ May 31, 1949. w. H. BRADLEY IRONING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Feb. 21, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 31, 1949 IRONIN G MACHINE" CONTROL MECHANISM William: HrBradlmtEort Wayne, Imih, assignor, to. Horton Manufacturing; Company, Fort. Wayne, Ind a, corporation: of, Indiana Application February 21, 1946, Serial No. 64-9180 2 Claims. 1?

The invention relates generally to ironing mat chines and more particularly to an ironing mar china of the character shown in my ccpending: application Serial Nc. 540 672 filed June 16, 1944; and comprising a. pair of relatively shiftable ironiing el'ements; one" ofwhichis a roll; and power driveni mechanism adapted to effect such shifting movement-and to drive the roll;

The general object of the invention: is to pro vide an ironing machine of the foregoing general character, having anovel' manual control means fr-thepower driven mechanism, which is mova' bl'e in one" direction toeffect shifting of the shiftable element, and in another direction to: stbprotationof the roll.

Another object is to provide an ironing-machine ofthe foregoing general character; having a novelmanual control'means for the power dr-ivem mechanism; which ismovablein one direction to cause the shiftable element to be moved toward orfrom the other element, the power driven" mechanism" being automatically connected to-the wil when the shiftabl'e element is moved towardi the other and, disconnected when the shift'able. element is moved away from the other; said control means being operable in another" direction to disconnect said-mechanism from'the roll when the twoelements are in engagement.

A further'obj ect is to provide an ironing machine of the; foregoinggeneral character; having" a novel control means movable in opposite directi ons from aneutral or-idle position respectively for effectingshifting'movement of the shiftabl'e element an-d-ffor stopping rotation of the roll whenthe two elements are inengagement; said: control means being adapted to automaticallyreturm to itsneutral or idle position when released after being moved in eitherdirection;

Otherrobjects and advantages will become apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings; inwhich? Figure 1. is an end elevationai view of an'iron ing machine embodying the features; of theinvention.

Fig; 2' is, a fragmentary sectional" view taken on the line'2-2of-Fig. 3.

Fig: 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view; partly'in section, ofthe machine shown in-Fig; 1*.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the parts utilized in controllingthemachine.

The ironing machine shown inthe present application as well asin the above" referred to co e pending application Seriai No 540 672 comprisesi a base lu-"prcvid'ed with a head structure indie- Gated: generally: at M secu ed to,E the base; adjawcent one: end. thereof and. extending: upwardlytherefrom. Mounted: on. a shaft: carried by; the; head; Ht is an; ironing; element; in the form of. a..- roll It: providedvwith the usual padding and cm which the articles t'oibe ironed are placed. Go,-

operating with the roll I2: is a secondironin element in the; form of; a shoe I13..- shiftab1y,-sup-- ported: byan; arm; l4 formovement toward and:

" from the roll. The arm I4; is carried by, a rooki motorw 22!: and} hassecured. thereto a gear casing? 221. To drive the roll, the motor 2| operates power driven 1 mechanism. comprising i a. shaft. proe vided with a pinion Z31 meshing with a gear-.14; mounted on a shaft: 25. The shaft 25"is'provided1 with a. pinion: ifi imeshing with. a, gear 2] loosely mounted on a. stub shaft. 30.. The gean 21: is; adaptedto be connected by a: clutch 31: to) the shaft-311i The shaft .3 Uihas rigidly formed thereont a pinion 32 meshing with a gear 33imounted onz. the roll-supportingshaft, indicated at 34 Thus, when the" clutch 3t is connected, the roll will be"; driven at a reduced speed by: the motor 2|.

The motor and power driven mechanism are; alsoutilized to eifectshifting movement. of the. shoe: t3 toward andafrom the roll t2; To this; end; the sha-ft Z5 is: provided with a second. pinion: ml meshing-- with a gear 3'5 loosely mounted; on a:- shafii 37 Also mounted on, the shaft. 31: and rotatablewith the gear 36 is a toothed member" 40': Secured tovthe shaft 31 adjacent'the toothed member 40 is a dish "N carrying a clutch finger 42 adapted: to engage thetoothed member 401' under control of theoperator. Thus, when the-.- fingerM is-in engagement with-thetoothed meme ber llli the shaft-3! is-rotated.

The shaft 37 also carries a: pinion 43 meshinga with acam drive gear 44: secured to a shaft 5 The shaitWJ carries a: four-lobedcam' 46 adapted;

when: rotated; to. swing a) lever l'l mounted on a. hollow shaitsfifl: The leven 4?! ispivotally cone nected: to; an. intermediate. lever 5:1 secured to; a. rockshafii 52: The rockshaf-t 52' projects through;

553 the wall; Off the! gear: casing: and at: its outer" end;

is provided with a lever 53 connected by a link 54 to a shoe-actuating lever 55. A spring 56 is connected to the pivotal connection of the link 54 and the lever 55 and tends to hold the lever 41 in engagement with the cam 46. The shoeactuating lever 55 is bent to extend downwardly into the base l and is connected to the rockshaft i for carrying the shoe toward and from the roll. An energy-storing device, indicated generally at 56, is mounted in the gear casing to cooperate with the cam 45 to compensate for and counterbalance the effect of a spring 51 in the shoe-supporting arm [4 so that such spring will not tend to cause an overdrive of the cam 46 when the shoe moves away from the roll and will not place an excessive load on the drive when the shoe is moving toward the roll.

The clutch 3i controlling the operation of the roll i2 is normally urged into engagement by a spring (not shown) and is adapted to be disengaged by a disengaging member comprising one arm 53 of a bell crank 64. The other arm of the bell crank 64 extends toward the lever 5i and is adapted to be held in clutch-disengaging position by an extension 65 on the end of the pivotal connection between the levers 4'! and 5| when thes two levers are so positioned that the shoe I3 is out of engagement with the roll. Thus, the roll will be stopped when the shoe is out of engagement therewith.

The clutch controlling the shifting of the shoe and comprising the finger 42 and the tooth member 40 is adapted to be disengaged by a disene gaging member 19. The disengaging member 16 comprises a strip of metal and has an edge portion which normally lies in the path of the finger 42 to hold the finger out of engagement with the toothed member 40, but when the disengaging member in is shifted out of the plane of the finger 42, a spring (not shown) causes the finger 42 to engage the toothed member 40 and thus effect rotation of the cam 46. The disengaging member "m is adapted to be shifted out of the plane of the clutch finger and then to be released so that, when the clutch finger 42 has made one revolution, it is reengaged by the edge portion of the disengaging member In and shifted out of engagement with the toothed member 40.

The present invention relates to a novel control means for controlling the roll clutch 3| and the shoe shifting clutch comprising the finger 42 and toothed member 40. Said control means, in its preferred form, comprises a rookshaft ll mounted in the tubular shaft 50. The rockshaft H extends into the gear casing 22 beyond the inner end of the tubular shaft 50 and carries a rockable member 12 (see Fig. 2). The rockable member '12 is preferably a flat piece of metal having one end 13 engageable with a cam surface 14 provided by a bulge formed on the disengaging member it. When the rockable member 12 is swung upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2, the end 13 thereby acts against the cam surface 14 and functions to shift the disengaging member H1 out of the plane of the finger 42 so that the latter, under pressure of its spring, will engage the toothed member 40 to drive the cam 45 and thereby effect shifting movement of the shoe l3 either toward or from the roll, as the case may be. The member 12 then is permitted to move back into its initial position and the disengaging member thereupon moves back into the plane of the clutch finger 42 so that the latter will be disengaged from the toothed member 4|] after one revolution. In this period, the cam 46 has been rotated through '4 one eighth of a turn and the shoe I3 is shifted either toward or from the roll.

The foregoing mode of operation is that which is employed for ordinary ironing. When the shoe is shifted away from the roll, the extension 55 moves the bell crank 64 to disengage the roll clutch 3| and thereby stop the roll. When the member '12 next shifts the disengaging member '10, engagement of the shoe-shifting clutch causes movement of the shoe toward the roll, and the extension 65 moves out of engagement with the bell crank 64 so that the spring of the roll clutch 3| functions to cause engagement of such clutch. The roll will, therefore, rotate when the shoe is in engagement therewith.

' The machine may also be used for pressing by preventing rotation of the roll when the shoe is in engagement therewith. To this end, the rockable member 72 is provided with a finger or hookshaped portion 15 adapted to engage the arm of the bell crank 6A which is normally engaged by the extension E55. Thus, assuming that the shoe I3 is in engagement with the roll, by swinging the rockable member 12 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2, the finger portion 15 swings the bell crank 64 to effect disengagement of the roll clutch 3|. The roll 3i will thereby be held stationary and articles may be pressed between the shoe and the roll, as long as member 12 is held in this position.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the rockable member 712 extends between the two disengaging members 10 and 64 and is adapted to be rocked in one direction to actuate one of the disengaging members and in the opposite direction to actuate the other disengaging members. To rock the shaft H carrying the member 12, the outer end of the shaft 'H is provided with a hand lever 88. In the present instance, the outer end of the shaft H is bent at a right angle to constitute the hand lever 86. The hand lever is adapted to extend through a slot 81 provided in the shroud l7 and is formed on its outer end with a finger portion 82.

In the preferred construction, the hand lever is adapted to be automatically held in its neutral or intermediate position out of engagement with both of the disengaging members 64 and iii. To this end, I provide a pair of springs 83 secured to the interior of the shroud I! as by being engaged over hooks 84 therein. The springs 83 extend toward each other and are secured at their adjacent ends through an aperture 85 in the hand lever 8%. Thus, when the hand lever is moved in either direction, it will be automatically returned by the springs 83 to its intermediate position.

For pressing, with the shoe in engagement with the roll, the operator merely lifts the lever 82, which swings the bell crank to disengage the roll clutch. Thus, the operator can interrupt the ironing mode of operation and utilize the machine for pressing at any time. Should the operator desire to move the shoe toward the roll without permitting the roll to start, all the operator has to do is to first depress the lever 82 to effect connection of the shoe shifting clutch and then raise. the lever 82 to hold the bell crank 64 against swinging as the pin 65 moves away from the bell crank.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the hand lever 80 may be moved in one direction to effect shifting of the shiftable element and in the opposite direction to stop rotation of the roll.

' With. the particular arrangement herein shown,

the outer end of the hand lever 80 is adapted to be depressed to cause shifting of the shoe 13 as in normal ironing work. When it is desired to use the machine for pressing, the outer end of the hand lever 80 is adapted to be lifted to cause dis: engagement of the roll clutch and thereby permit the shoe l3 to be in engagement with the roll when the latter is stopped. The hand lever 80 automatically returns to its intermediate position whenever the operator releases it, so that it is ready for either mode of operation.

I claim:

1. An ironing machine comprising a pair of relatively shiftable elements, one being a roll, power driven mechanism for rotating said roll and for shifting one of said elements toward and from the other including a first clutch engageable to efiect shifting movement of the element, and a second clutch engageable to effect rotation of the roll, a clutch control member for the first clutch shiftable bodily to effect engagement of the first clutch and having a cam surface, a clutch control member for the second clutch swingable to cause disengagement of the second clutch, a manually actuable plate having an end portion and a finger portion and swingable only in one direction in a plane to move said end portion into engagement with said cam surface to bodily shift the clutch control member for the first clutch and swingable only in the opposite direction in said plane to move said finger portion into engagement with the clutch control member for the second clutch for swinging the clutch control member, whereby opposite movements of said plate are required for actuating th respective clutch-control members, and a pair of stops operatively associated with said plate to limit its movement to two spaced opposite positions for actuating the respective clutch-control members.

2. An ironing machine comprising a pair of relatively shiftable ironing elements, one being a roll, a base, casing means extending upwardly from the base at one end thereof and having a rounded head portion, power driven mechanism mounted in said head portion. for rotating said roll and for shifting on of said elements toward and from the other including a pair of clutches for controlling such rotation and for effecting such shifting, and a pair of disengaging members for the respective clutches, a member located in said head portion and swingable in one direction to move the disengaging member for the clutch controlling the rotation of the roll and in the opposite direction to move the disengaging member for the clutch for effecting the shifting movement, said swingable member being normally positioned between said disengaging members whereby opposite movements of said swingable member are required for moving the respective disengaging members, said head portion having a slot extending circumferentially thereof, and a hand lever extending generally radially from said head portion through said slot and angularly movable to the limits of said slot to actuate said swingable member.

WILLIAM H. BRADLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,869,745 Hill Aug, 2, 1932 2,061,275 Hume Nov. 17, 1936 2,071,888 McCabe Feb. 23, 1937 2,192,185 Dunham Mar. 5, 1940 2,192,186 Dunham Mar. 5, 1940 2,227,701 Bush Jan. 7, 1941 2,260,799 Bush Oct. 28, 1941 2,346,374 Freis Apr. 11, 1944 

